{"data":{"id":16621,"title":"Hostile Negotiations: Part Two","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/16621-Hostile-Negotiations-Part-Two","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/16621","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/16621","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Hostile Negotiations","images":[{"id":10498,"name":"HostileNegotiations.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/zn2zr14butlpgr\/source\/HostileNegotiations.jpg","alt":"","size":5021584,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2018-05-09T17:15:07+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/10498","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/10498\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"\u201cYou\u2019re basically spitting in my face, Officer Frost,\u201d said Diamond, scowling into her mobi. \u201cAnd the rest of the team\u2019s. Do you have any idea what we went through to seize that WiDoW in the first place, and now you want us to just hand it all back? Hell, Davis lost an eye!\u201d\n\nHaving worked with Diamond on several other Crusader Security contracts, Kayla knew that this was the merc\u2019s way of haggling, but she didn\u2019t have the patience for their normal back and forth. Time was ticking. The jackers had given them a deadline of six hours and every second wasted put the hostages in more danger.\n\n\u201cIf you\u2019re hoping to get more creds to ease your hardship, you\u2019re climbing up the wrong ladder,\u201d said Kayla. Since her bosses had ordered her to give in to the shipjacker\u2019s demands, she wasn\u2019t exactly authorized to hire a crew of mercenaries. Best she could offer was hazard transport. \u201cThe pay is what it is, but I swear, if you help me get these people off that starliner alive, I\u2019ll make sure you and yours get taken care of ten-fold. Also, I know for a fact the recovery team found Davis\u2019 ocular implant and returned it to her.\u201d\n\nHaving been caught out, Diamond couldn\u2019t help but grin, showing off her eponymous sparkling teeth. Ever since she started working for Crusader, Kayla wondered why all the decent contractors she\u2019d found in Stanton had an excess of personality. Then again, the fly-the-course crowd she knew back in Terra would never have agreed to run an op like this.\n\n\u201cAlright, easy Frosty. We\u2019ll do it,\u201d said Diamond.\n\n\u201cGood. Head to the security landing bay ASAP and get the WiDoW loaded up.\u201d\n\n\u201cAlready on our way,\u201d said Diamond, \u201cthough, to be square with you, this whole operation sounds hinky as hell. Handing over a shipload of drugs to a bunch of jackers isn\u2019t the smartest negotiation tactic I\u2019ve ever heard.\u201d\n\n\u201cAgreed,\u201d said Kayla. \u201cBut you\u2019re gonna make sure the bastards don\u2019t get to keep a lick of it.\u201d\n\n\u201cLike the sound of that,\u201d said Diamond. \u201cWhat\u2019s the plan then? Hide Davis in one of the crates to pop \u2019em when they take a little lookie-loo? Poison the lot of it and hope the try a sample? Wire the WiDoW with a couple thousand grams of good old-fashioned CB-T?\u201d\n\n\u201cThey\u2019ll be expecting us to tamper with the shipment. No way the crates get on board without the jackers running a deep scan.\u201d\n\nDiamond nodded, understanding. \u201cYeah, they spot anything, they\u2019ll cut and run, and then the hostages are good as dead. I\u2019ll limit the team to non-lethal weapons only. That should help us not trigger any suspicion on approach, but hell if I know how we get inside without anybody noticing.\u201d\n\nA damn good question.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m working on it,\u201d said Kayla.\n\nKayla weaved her way through the midday crowds that clogged Orison\u2019s main promenade. The weather was pristine and the smiling faces of people enjoying it felt like a betrayal. With the stress and pressure she was under, the weather could at least have the decency to be overcast.\n\nAs she approached the starport\u2019s entrance, she bypassed the long line that snaked outside and beelined straight for the maintenance area. Normally, if she was doing official business at the port she would coordinate with the Crusader Transit Authority, but this time she couldn\u2019t risk anyone inquiring too deeply about her purpose there. If word got up to management about what she was doing, then, well \u2026 those hostage\u2019s lives would be in the hands of Crusader\u2019s PR exec, Harris. Not a very promising position.\n\nThe massive maintenance bay held several starliners in different states of repair. She checked her casefile to make sure she had the correct registration before heading towards the one bearing Meridian Transit livery.\n\n\u201cKelly Burgess?\u201d Kayla asked a passing worker wearing burgundy Meridian coveralls. Without stopping, they pointed her towards an open hatch on the Genesis\u2019 lower hull, where a mess of wires was brutally pulled from the belly of the cruise ship and strewn onto a raised work platform. The scene reminded her of an unfortunate murder case she worked back when she was still a rookie.\n\nInside the opening was another coveralled worker using a diagnostic tool to test connectors along a tangled data hub. \u201cKelly Burgess?\u201d She asked again. The man turned and paused when he saw her security uniform. She had him. Years of policing had taught her to spot when someone was debating if they should play dumb or run.\n\n\u201cI think you just missed her,\u201d said the man. He had decided to play dumb. Not a bad option considering Kayla was blocking the only exit. \u201cMaybe ask at the distro desk?\u201d\n\n\u201cI know who you are, Burgess,\u201d said Keyla with as much threat as she could muster.\n\nHe jostled a finger in his ear as way of explanation. \u201cLoud in here, isn\u2019t it? What can I do you for, officer?\u201d\n\n\u201cI know you\u2019re the one robbing cruise ships.\u201d\n\nThe case had first crossed her desk about eight months ago. A veritable treasure trove of passenger valuables had been stolen from the hold of a Meridian Transit cruise. Everything had been loaded on safely, and none of the security systems had picked up anything strange during the flight.\n\nShe had assigned the investigation out to one of her better contractors, but what few leads there were dried up and she had no choice but to pull the contract. There had been two more heists, but each time the assigned investigators were unable to catch a break.\n\nNever one to let a mystery rest, Kayla had recently begun analyzing the notes in her spare time. As much as she wanted to take the credit for cracking it, Susan had been the one to notice the pattern in the sensor readouts one day when Kayla had set up a projection of the timeline. All three voyages had a stretch where the logged sensor readouts had been identical. Someone had managed to hack the ship.\n\nThe limited scope of the robberies and the fact that only one particular cruise line had been affected had led her to believe that it was an inside job. All the Meridian crew on the ship had been tagged for background sweeps, but she expanded her efforts to include the ground crew at the spaceport. Yesterday, her hunch had paid off when she learned that Kelly Burgess, an electrical repairman who had started working for Meridian nine months ago, had been flagged as a person of interest in a similar case in Cassel five years prior. No formal charges had been brought against him, but Kayla suspected that it was more than just a coincidence. She had it on her schedule for today to assign someone to go pick him up for questioning, but the shipjacking changed those plans.\n\nNow she was doing the questioning herself.\n\n\u201cRobbery? What are you talking about?\u201d said Burgess. Thick beads of sweat started appearing along his brow.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got a choice to make and I need you to do it right now,\u201d said Kayla. \u201cI either cuff you right now or you tell how you broke into those ships and I forget we had this conversation.\u201d\n\nBurgess\u2019 eyes narrowed, suspecting a trap. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d\n\n\u201cI need to access a Genesis, and I need to do it without anybody knowing. A lot of people\u2019s lives are depending on it.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo, let me get this straight. I tell you how to break on to a starliner, you let me walk?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou won\u2019t ever be able to come back to Crusader, but yeah, that\u2019s the idea.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow do I know if I tell you, you won\u2019t just arrest me anyway?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re just going to have to trust me.\u201d\n\nAs soon as Burgess had transferred the files over to her to mobi and scurried out of the maintenance bay, Kayla notified Officer Bautista to arrest the man before he could leave the planet. Sure, the hacker had helped her out, but that was not enough to erase his crimes. She made a mental note to speak on his behalf during processing.\n\nNext, she commed Diamond.\n\n\u201cGood timing, Frost,\u201d said Diamond. \u201cWe just finished loading up. Care to fill us in on the rest of your brilliant plan?\u201d\n\n\u201cA vid file should have just shown up in your inbox. Don\u2019t try to play it yet.\u201d\n\n\u201cSomething I should watch later?\u201d Diamond asked with a wink.\n\nIt turned out that Burgess had found a backdoor into the ship\u2019s systems through the in-flight entertainment unit. As he explained it, \u201cNormal avionics are much harder to remotely hack, and even harder to hack without anybody noticing, but Crusader uses a last-gen solution to handle all the in-flight entertainment. Thing had a vulnerability big enough to drive a Nova through.\u201d Burgess would trigger a remote entertainment update while the ship was parked somewhere, spoof the scanners with his custom sensor loop, EVA over, take what he wanted, and leave without a trace.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s an executable. Once you run it, the program will loop the starliner\u2019s sensors for ten minutes and allow you to access the hold. From there, you should be able to regain control of the ship.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, aren\u2019t you just full of surprises,\u201d said Diamond impressed.\n\n\u201cAnd there\u2019s still one more to come.\u201d Hopefully it would be enough.\n\nKayla wasn\u2019t expecting Chief Pontayo to be waiting at her station. Crap. She was pretty sure she just made a \u2018play dumb or run\u2019 face of her own.\n\n\u201cEverything set?\u201d asked Pontayo, a raised eyebrow hinting at the seriousness of the question.\n\n\u201cThe transport is en route now with the WiDoW securely onboard,\u201d said Kayla, bringing up the ships progress on her display.\n\n\u201cDid you hear that, Terry? Everything is underway.\u201d\n\nHarris entered her station wearing the slick steel-colored jacket he reserved for meeting the press. Sure enough, the PR man was followed in by a reporter with an active capture rig.\n\n\u201cCaptain Pontayo. Officer Frost,\u201d said Harris, \u201cthis is Terry Powers from NewsForce. They\u2019re going to be documenting the release of these poor hostages. Just do your business and pretend like the camera isn\u2019t even there. Terry, feel free to ask any questions.\u201d\n\n\u201cCould you explain what\u2019s happening now?\u201d\n\nKayla glanced towards Chief Pontayo, silently asking a combination of \u201cIs this okay?\u201d and \u201cIs this really happening?\u201d\n\n\u201cOfficer Frost,\u201d prompted Harris.\n\nPontayo gave a slight nod, so Kayla began, \u201cThe transport is just out of range from the hijacked ship, so we will initiate contact to inform them of the approach not to alert them.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd would you say these are extremely dangerous criminals?\u201d Asked Terry.\n\n\u201cYes.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, I mean would you actually say that. It would make for a great soundbite.\u201d\n\nBefore Kayla could reply, her comm chimed. \u201cTransport One is in position.\u201d Thankfully, Diamond was smart enough to broadcast audio only.\n\n\u201cStand by.\u201d Kayla switched channels and commed the outlaws on the captured ship.\n\n\u201cWhy does that voice sound so familiar?\u201d asked Pontayo.\n\nKayla decided to just ignore the question for now. \u201cCome in Baba\u2019s Gift. We have your cargo ready for transfer.\u201d\n\nA moment later, the digitally-altered voice of Jack, the outlaw leader, came through, \u201cTell them to move in to range and hold for scanning. They do anything else and we start shooting everything and everyone.\u201d\n\nKayla passed the instructions on to Diamond. On the screen, they watched intently as the hauling ship moved into position.\n\n\u201cIs there any way they could do that again?\u201d Terry asked. \u201cI would love another angle.\u201d\n\nBefore Harris could prompt, both Kayla and Pontayo replied with curt a \u201cNo.\u201d\n\n\u201cWould you look at that,\u201d said Jack. \u201cTwenty crates of quality ink. You secs actually came through. Was sure I was gonna have to kill a few before you gave in.\u201d\n\nHarris stepped forward. \u201cAll we want is the safe return of the hostages,\u201d he said an octave deeper than normal and staring directly into the capture rig. \u201cThat is Crusader Industries\u2019 top priority.\u201d\n\nKayla had to squeeze her fist tightly to keep herself from screaming out. Never call them hostages! Never let them know they have the upper hand!\n\n\u201cThen all you gotta do is drop off the crates and be on your way,\u201d said Jack. \u201cReal win-win.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow will we get our people back?\u201d asked Kayla.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll let you know in a few hours where you can pick them up.\u201d And with that, the jacker closed the comm.\n\nKayla knew then that she had done the right thing calling in Diamond. The jackers had no intentions of giving back the ship or the people aboard.\n\nAlright Harris, thought Kayla, I hope your reporters enjoy the show.\n\nKayla opened a channel, \u201cTransport One, begin transfer procedures.\u201d With that, she sat back in her chair. The rest was in Diamond and her crew\u2019s hands.\n\n\u201cNot only do we prioritize safety and comfort on our award-winning vessels,\u201d said Harris, unable to let a moment of quiet survive unfilled, \u201cbut here on our world as well. Crusader has dedicated itself to building a security team that can handle any situation. In fact, recent reports have shown that it is safer to vacation here than many other similar destinations.\u201d\n\nSuddenly, a channel opened to Baba\u2019s Gift. \u201cWhat the hell is going on?\u201d yelled an unaltered voice that Kayla could only assume belonged to Jack. He could barely be heard over the blaring of loud music. Kayla smiled. Sounds like her second surprise was working.\n\nShe had gotten Burgess to whip up an impromptu flashbang using the onboard entertainment. Every screen and speaker should be making so much noise right now that the shipjackers won\u2019t be able to think straight.\n\n\u201cWhat the hell is going on?\u201d\n\nThis time it was Harris who was asking. The reporter swung wildly around trying to capture the moment.\n\n\u201cPerhaps some privacy first, Sir?\u201d suggested Pontayo.\n\nHarris\u2019 eyes darted to Terry. He switched instantly to his previous calm demeanor. \u201cTerry, would you mind excusing us for a moment?\u201d Before Terry could protest, Harris firmly pushed them out the door.\n\nHarris turned angrily to Kayla. \u201cExplain. Now.\u201d\n\n\u201cRight now a team of mercenaries is securing Baba\u2019s Gift. Knowing the team, we should be receiving the all clear in a moment or two.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s how I knew the voice!\u201d exclaimed Pontayo. \u201cYou hired Diamond to cart the WiDoW!\u201d\n\n\u201cYou did say I was in charge of contracting the transport team, Sir. Can\u2019t help it if I\u2019m really good at picking people.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou are done,\u201d said Harris, seething. \u201cNot only are you fired, if I have anything to say about it, you\u2019re going to be locked up for a long time. Chief, I want you to arrest her right now.\u201d\n\nThe comm chirped and Diamond appeared on the screen with a grin. \u201cHey Frosty. All clear. Thirty-two hostages safely accounted for. Three outlaws and twenty crates of WiDoW, ready for lock up. Your little vid worked like a charm.\u201d\n\n\u201cGood work, Diamond,\u201d said Kayla. \u201cHead on back when you can. Make sure you get those people some food and water from the galley and see if any of them need help to the restroom. They\u2019ve been sitting scared for a long time.\u201d\n\nShe closed the comm and stood to face Harris. \u201cYou can arrest me if you want, but then what are you going to tell that reporter? That you rescued everyone, but had no idea that it was happening? That Crusader Industries botched a successful rescue?\u201d\n\nHarris opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking.\n\n\u201cOr I could tell everyone how amazing your idea was.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not going to forget this, Officer Frost,\u201d said Harris before reopening the door. \u201cGood news, Terry! Our hostage rescue went flawlessly. How would you like to meet the heroes as they step off their luxurious Genesis starliner?\u201d\n\nIn a moment, the reporter and exec were gone.\n\n\u201cGood work, Frost,\u201d was all Pontayo had to say before he followed.\n\nKayla, alone, felt her body give out as all the built-up tension began to evaporate. She had done her job and ran the op as well as she could. Now was not the time to think about the fact she might not have that job for very much longer.\n\nNo. Now what she wanted more than anything was a steak dinner and to tell Susan all about how she had earned it.\n\nTHE END.","de_DE":"\"Sie spucken mir im Grunde ins Gesicht, Officer Frost\", sagte Diamond und blickte in ihre Mobi. \"Und der Rest des Teams. Hast du eine Ahnung, was wir durchgemacht haben, um dieses WiDoW \u00fcberhaupt zu nutzen, und jetzt willst du, dass wir einfach alles zur\u00fcckgeben? Zum Teufel, Davis hat ein Auge verloren!\"\n\nNachdem sie mit Diamond an mehreren anderen Kreuzritter-Sicherheitsauftr\u00e4gen gearbeitet hatte, wusste Kayla, dass dies die Art und Weise des Feilschens des S\u00f6ldners war, aber sie hatte nicht die Geduld f\u00fcr ihr normales Hin und Her. Die Zeit tr\u00e4llerte. Die Jackers hatten ihnen eine Frist von sechs Stunden gesetzt, und jede Sekunde, die verschwendet wurde, brachte die Geiseln in gr\u00f6\u00dfere Gefahr.\n\n\"Wenn du hoffst, mehr Glaubensbekenntnisse zu bekommen, um deine Not zu lindern, kletterst du auf der falschen Leiter hoch\", sagte Kayla. Da ihre Chefs ihr befohlen hatten, den Forderungen der Schiffsr\u00e4uber nachzugeben, war sie nicht gerade befugt, eine Crew von S\u00f6ldnern einzustellen. Das Beste, was sie anbieten konnte, war der Gefahrguttransport. \"Die Bezahlung ist, was es ist, aber ich schw\u00f6re, du hilfst mir, diese Leute lebendig von diesem Sternenhimmel zu befreien, ich werde daf\u00fcr sorgen, dass du und deine Kinder zehnfach versorgt werden. Ich wei\u00df auch, dass das Rettungsteam Davis' Augenimplantat gefunden und ihr zur\u00fcckgebracht hat.\"\n\nNachdem sie erwischt worden war, konnte Diamond nicht anders, als zu grinsen und ihre gleichnamigen funkelnden Z\u00e4hne zu zeigen. Seitdem sie anfing, f\u00fcr Crusader zu arbeiten, fragte sich Kayla, warum all die anst\u00e4ndigen Auftragnehmer, die sie in Stanton gefunden hatte, ein \u00dcberma\u00df an Pers\u00f6nlichkeit hatten. Andererseits h\u00e4tte die Menge, die sie damals in Terra kannte, nie zugestimmt, eine solche Operation durchzuf\u00fchren.\n\n\"In Ordnung, ganz ruhig Frosty. Wir werden es tun\", sagte Diamond.\n\n\"Gut. Gehen Sie so schnell wie m\u00f6glich zur Sicherheitslandungsbucht und laden Sie das WiDoW auf.\"\n\n\"Schon auf dem Weg\", sagte Diamond, \"aber um ehrlich zu sein, klingt diese ganze Operation verd\u00e4chtig wie die H\u00f6lle. Eine Schiffsladung Drogen an einen Haufen Jacker zu \u00fcbergeben, ist nicht die kl\u00fcgste Verhandlungstaktik, die ich je geh\u00f6rt habe.\"\n\n\"Einverstanden\", sagte Kayla. \"Aber du wirst daf\u00fcr sorgen, dass die Bastarde nicht davon lecken k\u00f6nnen.\"\n\n\"Wie der Klang davon\", sagte Diamond. \"Was ist dann der Plan? Davis in einer der Kisten verstecken, um sie zu knallen, wenn sie ein kleines Lookie-Loo machen? Vergiften Sie viel davon und hoffen Sie, dass Sie eine Probe probieren? Verkabeln Sie das WiDoW mit ein paar tausend Gramm gutem altmodischem CB-T?\"\n\n\"Sie werden erwarten, dass wir die Lieferung manipulieren. Auf keinen Fall kommen die Kisten an Bord, ohne dass die Wagenheber einen Tiefenscan durchf\u00fchren.\"\n\nDiamond nickte, verst\u00e4ndnisvoll. \"Ja, sie sehen alles, sie werden schneiden und fliehen, und dann sind die Geiseln so gut wie tot. Ich werde das Team auf nicht-t\u00f6dliche Waffen beschr\u00e4nken. Das sollte uns helfen, bei der Ann\u00e4herung keinen Verdacht zu erregen, aber zur H\u00f6lle, wenn ich wei\u00df, wie wir reinkommen, ohne dass es jemand merkt.\"\n\nEine verdammt gute Frage.\n\n\"Ich arbeite daran\", sagte Kayla.\n\nKayla schl\u00e4ngelte sich durch die mitt\u00e4gliche Menge, die die Hauptpromenade von Orison verstopfte. Das Wetter war unber\u00fchrt und die l\u00e4chelnden Gesichter der Menschen, die es genossen, f\u00fchlten sich wie ein Verrat an. Mit dem Stress und Druck, unter dem sie stand, konnte das Wetter zumindest den Anstand haben, bedeckt zu sein.\n\nAls sie sich dem Eingang des Starports n\u00e4herte, umging sie die lange Linie, die sich nach drau\u00dfen schl\u00e4ngelte und direkt zum Wartungsbereich f\u00fchrte. Normalerweise, wenn sie irgendwelche offiziellen Gesch\u00e4fte im Hafen machen w\u00fcrde, w\u00fcrde sie sich mit der Kreuzritter-Transportbeh\u00f6rde abstimmen, aber diesmal konnte sie es nicht riskieren, dass sich jemand zu tief \u00fcber ihr Gesch\u00e4ft dort erkundigt. Wenn das Management dar\u00fcber informiert w\u00fcrde, was sie tat, dann, nun ja.... das Leben dieser Geisel w\u00fcrde in den H\u00e4nden von Crusaders PR-Manager Harris liegen. Keine sehr vielversprechende Position.\n\nDie massive Wartungshalle enthielt mehrere Starliner in verschiedenen Reparaturzust\u00e4nden. Sie \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte ihre Fallakte, um sicherzustellen, dass sie die richtige Registrierung hatte, bevor sie sich auf denjenigen zubewegt, der die Livree des Meridian Transits tr\u00e4gt.\n\n\"Kelly Burgess?\" fragte Kayla einen vorbeikommenden Arbeiter in bordeauxfarbenen Meridian-Overalls. Ohne anzuhalten, zeigten sie sie auf eine offene Luke am unteren Rumpf der Genesis, wo ein Durcheinander von Kabeln brutal aus dem Bauch des Kreuzfahrtschiffes gezogen und auf eine erh\u00f6hte Arbeitsb\u00fchne gestreut wurde. Der Tatort erinnerte sie an einen ungl\u00fccklichen Mordfall, an dem sie arbeitete, als sie noch ein Anf\u00e4nger war.\n\nIn der \u00d6ffnung befand sich ein weiterer bedeckter Arbeiter, der ein Diagnosewerkzeug benutzte, um Steckverbinder entlang einer verwickelten Datendrehscheibe zu testen. \"Kelly Burgess?\" fragte sie erneut. Der Mann drehte sich um und hielt inne, als er ihre Sicherheitsuniform sah. Sie hatte ihn. Jahrelange Polizeiarbeit hatte sie gelehrt, zu erkennen, wenn jemand dar\u00fcber diskutierte, ob sie sich dumm stellen oder laufen sollten.\n\n\"Ich glaube, du hast sie gerade verpasst\", sagte der Mann. Er hatte sich entschieden, sich dumm zu stellen. Keine schlechte Option, wenn man bedenkt, dass Kayla den einzigen Ausgang blockiert hat. \"Vielleicht am Distributionsschalter fragen?\"\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df, wer du bist, Burgess\", sagte Keyla mit so viel Bedrohung, wie sie aufbringen konnte.\n\nEr stie\u00df sich zur Erkl\u00e4rung einen Finger ins Ohr. \"Hier drin ist es laut, nicht wahr? Was kann ich f\u00fcr Sie tun, Officer?\"\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df, dass du derjenige bist, der Kreuzfahrtschiffe ausraubt.\"\n\nDer Fall hatte ihren Schreibtisch vor etwa acht Monaten zum ersten Mal durchquert. Eine wahre Fundgrube an Wertsachen f\u00fcr Passagiere war aus dem Frachtraum der Meridian Transit-Kreuzfahrt gestohlen worden. Alles war sicher verladen worden, und keines der Sicherheitssysteme hatte w\u00e4hrend des Fluges etwas Seltsames aufgegriffen.\n\nSie hatte die Untersuchung einem ihrer besseren Auftragnehmer \u00fcbertragen, aber die wenigen Spuren dort waren ausgetrocknet und sie hatte keine andere Wahl, als den Vertrag zu ziehen. Es hatte zwei weitere Raub\u00fcberf\u00e4lle gegeben, aber jedes Mal konnten die beauftragten Ermittler keine Pause einlegen.\n\nKayla hatte k\u00fcrzlich damit begonnen, die Notizen in ihrer Freizeit zu analysieren. So sehr sie auch die Anerkennung f\u00fcr das Knacken nehmen wollte, Susan war diejenige gewesen, die das Muster in den Sensoranzeigen eines Tages bemerkt hatte, als Kayla eine Projektion der Timeline aufgestellt hatte. Alle drei Reisen hatten eine Strecke, auf der die aufgezeichneten Sensorwerte identisch waren. Jemand hatte es geschafft, das Schiff zu hacken.\n\nDer begrenzte Umfang der Raub\u00fcberf\u00e4lle und die Tatsache, dass nur eine bestimmte Kreuzfahrtgesellschaft betroffen war, hatten sie glauben lassen, dass es sich um einen Insider-Job handelte. Die gesamte Meridian-Crew auf dem Schiff war f\u00fcr Hintergrund-Sweeps markiert worden, aber sie erweiterte ihre Bem\u00fchungen um die Bodencrew im Raumhafen. Gestern hatte sich ihre Vermutung ausgezahlt, als sie erfuhr, dass Kelly Burgess, ein Elektromechaniker, der vor neun Monaten bei Meridian angefangen hatte, f\u00fcnf Jahre zuvor in einem \u00e4hnlichen Fall in Cassel als Person von Interesse markiert worden war. Es waren keine formalen Anklagen gegen ihn erhoben worden, aber Kayla vermutete, dass es mehr als nur ein Zufall war. Sie hatte es auf ihrem Zeitplan f\u00fcr heute, jemanden zu beauftragen, ihn zur Befragung abzuholen, aber der Schiffsraub \u00e4nderte diese Pl\u00e4ne.\n\nJetzt machte sie die Befragung selbst.\n\n\"Raub\u00fcberfall? Wovon redest du?\", sagte Burgess. Dicke Schwei\u00dfperlen begannen wie von Geisterhand entlang seiner Stirn zu erscheinen.\n\n\"Du hast eine Entscheidung zu treffen, und ich m\u00f6chte, dass du sie sofort triffst\", sagte Kayla. \"Entweder lege ich dir jetzt Handschellen an oder du erz\u00e4hlst, wie du in diese Schiffe eingebrochen bist, und ich vergesse, dass wir dieses Gespr\u00e4ch hatten.\"\n\nBurgess' Augen verengten sich und vermuteten eine Falle. \"Was meinst du damit?\"\n\n\"Ich muss auf eine Genesis zugreifen, und ich muss es tun, ohne dass es jemand merkt. Das Leben vieler Menschen h\u00e4ngt davon ab.\"\n\n\"Also, damit ich das richtig verstehe. Ich kann dir sagen, wie man einen Starliner anmacht, du l\u00e4sst mich laufen?\"\n\n\"Du wirst nie wieder zu Kreuzritter zur\u00fcckkehren k\u00f6nnen, aber ja, das ist die Idee.\"\n\n\"Woher soll ich das wissen, wenn ich dir sage, dass du mich nicht einfach verhaften willst?\"\n\n\"Du wirst mir einfach vertrauen m\u00fcssen.\"\n\nSobald Burgess die Akten an Mobi \u00fcbergeben hatte und aus der Wartungsbucht eilte, informierte Kayla Officer Bautista, den Mann festzunehmen, bevor er den Planeten verlassen konnte. Sicherlich hatte der Hacker ihr geholfen, aber das war nicht genug, um seine Verbrechen zu l\u00f6schen. Sie machte eine mentale Notiz, um w\u00e4hrend der Verarbeitung in seinem Namen zu sprechen.\n\nAls n\u00e4chstes kam sie zu Diamond.\n\n\"Gutes Timing, Frost\", sagte Diamond. \"Wir sind gerade mit dem Laden fertig. M\u00f6chtest du uns \u00fcber den Rest deines brillanten Plans informieren?\"\n\n\"Eine Vid-Datei sollte gerade in Ihrem Posteingang erscheinen. Versuch es noch nicht zu spielen.\"\n\n\"Etwas, das ich sp\u00e4ter sehen sollte?\" fragte Diamond mit einem Augenzwinkern.\n\nEs stellte sich heraus, dass Burgess \u00fcber die Bordeinheit eine Hintert\u00fcr in die Systeme des Schiffes gefunden hatte. Wie er erkl\u00e4rte: \"Normale Avionik ist viel schwieriger aus der Ferne zu hacken und noch schwieriger zu hacken, ohne dass es jemand merkt, aber Crusader verwendet eine L\u00f6sung der letzten Generation, um die gesamte Bordunterhaltung zu \u00fcbernehmen. Das Ding hatte eine Schwachstelle, die gro\u00df genug war, um eine Nova durchzubringen.\" Burgess w\u00fcrde ein Remote-Entertainment-Update ausl\u00f6sen, w\u00e4hrend das Schiff irgendwo geparkt war, die Scanner mit seiner benutzerdefinierten Sensorschleife t\u00e4uschen, EVA \u00fcbernehmen, nehmen, was er wollte, und spurlos verschwinden.\n\n\"Es ist eine ausf\u00fchrbare Datei. Sobald Sie es ausgef\u00fchrt haben, wird das Programm die Sensoren des Starliners f\u00fcr zehn Minuten durchlaufen und Ihnen den Zugriff auf den Laderaum erm\u00f6glichen. Von dort aus sollten Sie in der Lage sein, die Kontrolle \u00fcber das Schiff zur\u00fcckzuerlangen.\"\n\n\"Nun, bist du nicht einfach voller \u00dcberraschungen\", sagte Diamond beeindruckt.\n\n\"Und da kommt noch einer.\" Hoffentlich w\u00fcrde es reichen.\n\nKayla hatte nicht erwartet, dass Chief Pontayo an ihrem Revier wartet. Mist. Sie war sich ziemlich sicher, dass sie sich selbst ein \"play dumb or run\" Gesicht gemacht hatte.\n\n\"Alles bereit?\" fragte Pontayo, eine erhabene Augenbraue, die auf den Ernst der Frage hinwies.\n\n\"Der Transport ist nun mit dem WiDoW sicher an Bord unterwegs\", sagte Kayla und zeigte den Fortschritt der Schiffe auf ihrem Display an.\n\n\"Hast du das geh\u00f6rt, Terry? Alles ist im Gange.\"\n\nHarris betrat ihre Station mit der glatten stahlfarbenen Jacke, die er f\u00fcr die Begegnung mit der Presse reservierte. Tats\u00e4chlich wurde der PR-Mann von einem Reporter mit einem aktiven Aufnahmeger\u00e4t verfolgt.\n\n\"Captain Pontayo. Officer Frost\", sagte Harris, \"hier ist Terry Powers von NewsForce. Sie werden die Freilassung dieser armen Geiseln dokumentieren. Mach einfach dein Gesch\u00e4ft und tu so, als w\u00e4re die Kamera nicht einmal da. Terry, z\u00f6gere nicht, irgendwelche Fragen zu stellen.\"\n\n\"K\u00f6nntest du erkl\u00e4ren, was jetzt passiert?\"\n\nKayla blickte zu Chief Pontayo und fragte schweigend nach einer Kombination aus \"Ist das in Ordnung?\" und \"Passiert das wirklich?\".\n\n\"Officer Frost\", veranlasste Harris.\n\nPontayo nickte leicht, also begann Kayla: \"Der Transport ist gerade au\u00dfer Reichweite des entf\u00fchrten Schiffes, also werden wir Kontakt aufnehmen, um sie \u00fcber die Ann\u00e4herung zu informieren, damit sie nicht gewarnt werden\".\n\n\"Und w\u00fcrdest du sagen, das sind extrem gef\u00e4hrliche Kriminelle?\" Fragte Terry.\n\n\" Ja.\"\n\n\"Nein, ich meine, w\u00fcrdest du das wirklich sagen. Das w\u00e4re ein toller Soundbiss.\"\n\nBevor Kayla antworten konnte, l\u00e4utete ihr Komm. \"Transport Eins ist in Position.\" Gl\u00fccklicherweise war Diamond klug genug, nur Audio zu \u00fcbertragen.\n\n\" Bleiben Sie dran.\" Kayla wechselte den Kanal und unternahm die Gesetzlosen auf dem gefangenen Schiff.\n\n\"Warum klingt diese Stimme so vertraut?\", fragte Pontayo.\n\nKayla beschloss, die Frage vorerst einfach zu ignorieren. \" Komm in Babas Geschenk. Wir haben Ihre Fracht f\u00fcr den Transfer bereit.\"\n\nEinen Moment sp\u00e4ter kam die digital ver\u00e4nderte Stimme von Jack, dem Anf\u00fchrer der Gesetzlosen, durch: \"Sag ihnen, sie sollen sich in Reichweite bewegen und f\u00fcr den Scan halten. Sie tun alles andere und wir fangen an, alles und jeden zu erschie\u00dfen.\"\n\nKayla gab die Anweisungen an Diamond weiter. Auf dem Bildschirm beobachteten sie aufmerksam, wie sich das Schleppschiff in Position bewegte.\n\n\"Gibt es eine M\u00f6glichkeit, wie sie das noch einmal machen k\u00f6nnen?\" fragte Terry. \"Ich h\u00e4tte gerne einen anderen Blickwinkel.\"\n\nBevor Harris antworten konnte, antworteten sowohl Kayla als auch Pontayo mit einem kurzen \"Nein\".\n\n\"W\u00fcrdest du dir das mal ansehen\", sagte Jack. \"Zwanzig Kisten mit hochwertiger Tinte. Ihr Sekunden sind tats\u00e4chlich durchgekommen. Ich war mir sicher, dass ich ein paar t\u00f6ten muss, bevor du nachgibst.\"\n\nHarris trat vor. \"Alles, was wir wollen, ist die sichere R\u00fcckkehr der Geiseln\", sagte er eine Oktave tiefer als normal und starrte direkt in das Fangger\u00e4t. \"Das ist die oberste Priorit\u00e4t von Crusader Industries.\"\n\nKayla musste ihre Faust fest zusammendr\u00fccken, um nicht zu schreien. Nennen Sie sie niemals Geiseln! Lassen Sie sie nie wissen, dass sie die Oberhand haben!\n\n\"Dann musst du nur noch von den Kisten runterfallen und dich auf den Weg machen\", sagte Jack. \"Echte Win-Win-Win-Situation.\"\n\n\"Wie sollen wir unsere Leute zur\u00fcckbekommen?\" fragte Kayla.\n\n\"Wir lassen es dich in ein paar Stunden wissen, wo du sie abholen kannst.\" Und damit hat der Jacker den Comm geschlossen.\n\nKayla wusste damals, dass sie das Richtige getan hatte, Diamond anzurufen. Die Jacker hatten nicht die Absicht, das Schiff oder die Menschen an Bord zur\u00fcckzugeben.\n\nAlles klar Harris, dachte Kayla, ich hoffe, deine Reporter genie\u00dfen die Show.\n\nKayla \u00f6ffnete einen Kanal, \"Transport One, beginne Transferprozesse.\" Damit lehnte sie sich auf ihrem Stuhl zur\u00fcck. Der Rest lag in den H\u00e4nden von Diamond und ihrer Crew.\n\n\"Wir legen nicht nur Wert auf Sicherheit und Komfort auf unseren preisgekr\u00f6nten Schiffen\", sagt Harris, der einen Moment der Ruhe nicht ungest\u00f6rt \u00fcberstehen kann, \"sondern auch hier auf unserer Welt. Crusader hat sich dem Aufbau eines Sicherheitsteams verschrieben, das mit jeder Situation umgehen kann. Tats\u00e4chlich haben j\u00fcngste Berichte gezeigt, dass es sicherer ist, hier Urlaub zu machen, als in vielen anderen \u00e4hnlichen Orten.\"\n\nPl\u00f6tzlich \u00f6ffnete sich ein Kanal zu Babas Geschenk. \"Was zum Teufel ist los?\" schrie eine Stimme, von der Kayla nur annehmen konnte, dass sie dem unver\u00e4nderten Jack geh\u00f6rte. Er war kaum zu h\u00f6ren, als die laute Musik schrie. Kayla l\u00e4chelte. Klingt, als h\u00e4tte ihre zweite \u00dcberraschung funktioniert.\n\nSie hatte Burgess dazu gebracht, einen spontanen Flashbang mit Hilfe der Bordunterhaltung zu zaubern. Jeder Bildschirm und jeder Lautsprecher sollte im Moment so viel L\u00e4rm machen, dass die Schiffsr\u00e4uber nicht mehr klar denken k\u00f6nnen.\n\n\"Was zum Teufel ist hier los?\"\n\nDiesmal war es Harris, der fragte. Der Reporter schwang sich wild umher und versuchte, den Moment festzuhalten.\n\n\"Vielleicht zuerst etwas Privatsph\u00e4re, Sir?\" schlug Pontayo vor.\n\nHarris' Augen huschten zu Terry. Er wechselte sofort zu seinem fr\u00fcheren ruhigen Verhalten. \"Terry, w\u00fcrdest du uns f\u00fcr einen Moment entschuldigen?\" Bevor Terry protestieren konnte, schob Harris sie fest aus der T\u00fcr.\n\nHarris wandte sich w\u00fctend an Kayla. \"Erkl\u00e4re es. Jetzt.\"\n\n\"Im Moment sichert ein Team von S\u00f6ldnern Babas Geschenk. Wie wir das Team kennen, sollten wir in ein oder zwei Augenblicken alles klar haben.\"\n\n\"Deshalb kannte ich die Stimme!\" rief Pontayo aus. \"Du hast Diamond angeheuert, um das WiDoW zu transportieren!\"\n\n\"Sie sagten, ich sei f\u00fcr die Beauftragung des Transportteams zust\u00e4ndig, Sir. Ich kann nichts daf\u00fcr, wenn ich wirklich gut darin bin, Leute auszuw\u00e4hlen.\"\n\n\"Du bist fertig\", sagte Harris und brodelte. \"Du bist nicht nur gefeuert, wenn ich etwas dazu zu sagen habe, du wirst f\u00fcr lange Zeit eingesperrt sein. Chief, ich m\u00f6chte, dass Sie sie sofort verhaften.\"\n\nDer Komm zwitscherte und Diamond erschien mit einem Grinsen auf dem Bildschirm. \"Hey Frosty. Alles klar. 32 Geiseln sicher identifiziert. Drei Gesetzlose und zwanzig Kisten WiDoW, bereit zum Einsperren. Dein kleines Video hat wie ein Zauber funktioniert.\"\n\n\"Gute Arbeit, Diamond\", sagte Kayla. \"Geh zur\u00fcck, wenn du kannst. Stellen Sie sicher, dass Sie diesen Leuten etwas Essen und Wasser aus der K\u00fcche holen und sehen, ob einer von ihnen Hilfe auf der Toilette braucht. Sie sitzen schon lange ver\u00e4ngstigt da.\"\n\nSie schloss den Comm und stand zu Harris. \"Du kannst mich verhaften, wenn du willst, aber was wirst du dann diesem Reporter sagen? Dass du alle gerettet hast, aber nicht wusstest, dass es passiert? Dass Crusader Industries eine erfolgreiche Rettung vermasselt hat?\"\n\nHarris \u00f6ffnete seinen Mund, schloss ihn aber, ohne zu sprechen.\n\n\"Oder ich k\u00f6nnte jedem sagen, wie toll deine Idee war.\"\n\n\"Ich werde das nicht vergessen, Officer Frost\", sagte Harris, bevor er die T\u00fcr wieder \u00f6ffnete. \"Gute Nachrichten, Terry! Unsere Geiselrettung verlief einwandfrei. M\u00f6chtest du die Helden treffen, wenn sie von ihrem luxuri\u00f6sen Genesis-Starliner steigen?\"\n\nIn einem Moment waren der Reporter und der Manager weg.\n\n\"Gute Arbeit, Frost\", das war alles, was Pontayo zu sagen hatte, bevor er folgte.\n\nKayla, allein, f\u00fchlte, wie ihr K\u00f6rper aufgab, als der ganze aufgebaute Stress zu verfliegen begann. Sie hatte ihre Arbeit getan und die Operation so gut wie m\u00f6glich geleitet. Jetzt war nicht die Zeit, \u00fcber die Tatsache nachzudenken, dass sie diesen Job vielleicht nicht mehr sehr viel l\u00e4nger haben w\u00fcrde.\n\nNein. Jetzt wollte sie mehr als alles andere ein Steak-Dinner und Susan alles dar\u00fcber erz\u00e4hlen, wie sie es verdient hatte.\n\nDAS ENDE.","zh_CN":"\u201cYou\u2019re basically spitting in my face, Officer Frost,\u201d said Diamond, scowling into her mobi. \u201cAnd the rest of the team\u2019s. Do you have any idea what we went through to seize that WiDoW in the first place, and now you want us to just hand it all back? Hell, Davis lost an eye!\u201d\n\nHaving worked with Diamond on several other Crusader Security contracts, Kayla knew that this was the merc\u2019s way of haggling, but she didn\u2019t have the patience for their normal back and forth. Time was ticking. The jackers had given them a deadline of six hours and every second wasted put the hostages in more danger.\n\n\u201cIf you\u2019re hoping to get more creds to ease your hardship, you\u2019re climbing up the wrong ladder,\u201d said Kayla. Since her bosses had ordered her to give in to the shipjacker\u2019s demands, she wasn\u2019t exactly authorized to hire a crew of mercenaries. Best she could offer was hazard transport. \u201cThe pay is what it is, but I swear, if you help me get these people off that starliner alive, I\u2019ll make sure you and yours get taken care of ten-fold. Also, I know for a fact the recovery team found Davis\u2019 ocular implant and returned it to her.\u201d\n\nHaving been caught out, Diamond couldn\u2019t help but grin, showing off her eponymous sparkling teeth. Ever since she started working for Crusader, Kayla wondered why all the decent contractors she\u2019d found in Stanton had an excess of personality. Then again, the fly-the-course crowd she knew back in Terra would never have agreed to run an op like this.\n\n\u201cAlright, easy Frosty. We\u2019ll do it,\u201d said Diamond.\n\n\u201cGood. Head to the security landing bay ASAP and get the WiDoW loaded up.\u201d\n\n\u201cAlready on our way,\u201d said Diamond, \u201cthough, to be square with you, this whole operation sounds hinky as hell. Handing over a shipload of drugs to a bunch of jackers isn\u2019t the smartest negotiation tactic I\u2019ve ever heard.\u201d\n\n\u201cAgreed,\u201d said Kayla. \u201cBut you\u2019re gonna make sure the bastards don\u2019t get to keep a lick of it.\u201d\n\n\u201cLike the sound of that,\u201d said Diamond. \u201cWhat\u2019s the plan then? Hide Davis in one of the crates to pop \u2019em when they take a little lookie-loo? Poison the lot of it and hope the try a sample? Wire the WiDoW with a couple thousand grams of good old-fashioned CB-T?\u201d\n\n\u201cThey\u2019ll be expecting us to tamper with the shipment. No way the crates get on board without the jackers running a deep scan.\u201d\n\nDiamond nodded, understanding. \u201cYeah, they spot anything, they\u2019ll cut and run, and then the hostages are good as dead. I\u2019ll limit the team to non-lethal weapons only. That should help us not trigger any suspicion on approach, but hell if I know how we get inside without anybody noticing.\u201d\n\nA damn good question.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m working on it,\u201d said Kayla.\n\nKayla weaved her way through the midday crowds that clogged Orison\u2019s main promenade. The weather was pristine and the smiling faces of people enjoying it felt like a betrayal. With the stress and pressure she was under, the weather could at least have the decency to be overcast.\n\nAs she approached the starport\u2019s entrance, she bypassed the long line that snaked outside and beelined straight for the maintenance area. Normally, if she was doing official business at the port she would coordinate with the Crusader Transit Authority, but this time she couldn\u2019t risk anyone inquiring too deeply about her purpose there. If word got up to management about what she was doing, then, well \u2026 those hostage\u2019s lives would be in the hands of Crusader\u2019s PR exec, Harris. Not a very promising position.\n\nThe massive maintenance bay held several starliners in different states of repair. She checked her casefile to make sure she had the correct registration before heading towards the one bearing Meridian Transit livery.\n\n\u201cKelly Burgess?\u201d Kayla asked a passing worker wearing burgundy Meridian coveralls. Without stopping, they pointed her towards an open hatch on the Genesis\u2019 lower hull, where a mess of wires was brutally pulled from the belly of the cruise ship and strewn onto a raised work platform. The scene reminded her of an unfortunate murder case she worked back when she was still a rookie.\n\nInside the opening was another coveralled worker using a diagnostic tool to test connectors along a tangled data hub. \u201cKelly Burgess?\u201d She asked again. The man turned and paused when he saw her security uniform. She had him. Years of policing had taught her to spot when someone was debating if they should play dumb or run.\n\n\u201cI think you just missed her,\u201d said the man. He had decided to play dumb. Not a bad option considering Kayla was blocking the only exit. \u201cMaybe ask at the distro desk?\u201d\n\n\u201cI know who you are, Burgess,\u201d said Keyla with as much threat as she could muster.\n\nHe jostled a finger in his ear as way of explanation. \u201cLoud in here, isn\u2019t it? What can I do you for, officer?\u201d\n\n\u201cI know you\u2019re the one robbing cruise ships.\u201d\n\nThe case had first crossed her desk about eight months ago. A veritable treasure trove of passenger valuables had been stolen from the hold of a Meridian Transit cruise. Everything had been loaded on safely, and none of the security systems had picked up anything strange during the flight.\n\nShe had assigned the investigation out to one of her better contractors, but what few leads there were dried up and she had no choice but to pull the contract. There had been two more heists, but each time the assigned investigators were unable to catch a break.\n\nNever one to let a mystery rest, Kayla had recently begun analyzing the notes in her spare time. As much as she wanted to take the credit for cracking it, Susan had been the one to notice the pattern in the sensor readouts one day when Kayla had set up a projection of the timeline. All three voyages had a stretch where the logged sensor readouts had been identical. Someone had managed to hack the ship.\n\nThe limited scope of the robberies and the fact that only one particular cruise line had been affected had led her to believe that it was an inside job. All the Meridian crew on the ship had been tagged for background sweeps, but she expanded her efforts to include the ground crew at the spaceport. Yesterday, her hunch had paid off when she learned that Kelly Burgess, an electrical repairman who had started working for Meridian nine months ago, had been flagged as a person of interest in a similar case in Cassel five years prior. No formal charges had been brought against him, but Kayla suspected that it was more than just a coincidence. She had it on her schedule for today to assign someone to go pick him up for questioning, but the shipjacking changed those plans.\n\nNow she was doing the questioning herself.\n\n\u201cRobbery? What are you talking about?\u201d said Burgess. Thick beads of sweat started appearing along his brow.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got a choice to make and I need you to do it right now,\u201d said Kayla. \u201cI either cuff you right now or you tell how you broke into those ships and I forget we had this conversation.\u201d\n\nBurgess\u2019 eyes narrowed, suspecting a trap. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d\n\n\u201cI need to access a Genesis, and I need to do it without anybody knowing. A lot of people\u2019s lives are depending on it.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo, let me get this straight. I tell you how to break on to a starliner, you let me walk?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou won\u2019t ever be able to come back to Crusader, but yeah, that\u2019s the idea.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow do I know if I tell you, you won\u2019t just arrest me anyway?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re just going to have to trust me.\u201d\n\nAs soon as Burgess had transferred the files over to her to mobi and scurried out of the maintenance bay, Kayla notified Officer Bautista to arrest the man before he could leave the planet. Sure, the hacker had helped her out, but that was not enough to erase his crimes. She made a mental note to speak on his behalf during processing.\n\nNext, she commed Diamond.\n\n\u201cGood timing, Frost,\u201d said Diamond. \u201cWe just finished loading up. Care to fill us in on the rest of your brilliant plan?\u201d\n\n\u201cA vid file should have just shown up in your inbox. Don\u2019t try to play it yet.\u201d\n\n\u201cSomething I should watch later?\u201d Diamond asked with a wink.\n\nIt turned out that Burgess had found a backdoor into the ship\u2019s systems through the in-flight entertainment unit. As he explained it, \u201cNormal avionics are much harder to remotely hack, and even harder to hack without anybody noticing, but Crusader uses a last-gen solution to handle all the in-flight entertainment. Thing had a vulnerability big enough to drive a Nova through.\u201d Burgess would trigger a remote entertainment update while the ship was parked somewhere, spoof the scanners with his custom sensor loop, EVA over, take what he wanted, and leave without a trace.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s an executable. Once you run it, the program will loop the starliner\u2019s sensors for ten minutes and allow you to access the hold. From there, you should be able to regain control of the ship.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, aren\u2019t you just full of surprises,\u201d said Diamond impressed.\n\n\u201cAnd there\u2019s still one more to come.\u201d Hopefully it would be enough.\n\nKayla wasn\u2019t expecting Chief Pontayo to be waiting at her station. Crap. She was pretty sure she just made a \u2018play dumb or run\u2019 face of her own.\n\n\u201cEverything set?\u201d asked Pontayo, a raised eyebrow hinting at the seriousness of the question.\n\n\u201cThe transport is en route now with the WiDoW securely onboard,\u201d said Kayla, bringing up the ships progress on her display.\n\n\u201cDid you hear that, Terry? Everything is underway.\u201d\n\nHarris entered her station wearing the slick steel-colored jacket he reserved for meeting the press. Sure enough, the PR man was followed in by a reporter with an active capture rig.\n\n\u201cCaptain Pontayo. Officer Frost,\u201d said Harris, \u201cthis is Terry Powers from NewsForce. They\u2019re going to be documenting the release of these poor hostages. Just do your business and pretend like the camera isn\u2019t even there. Terry, feel free to ask any questions.\u201d\n\n\u201cCould you explain what\u2019s happening now?\u201d\n\nKayla glanced towards Chief Pontayo, silently asking a combination of \u201cIs this okay?\u201d and \u201cIs this really happening?\u201d\n\n\u201cOfficer Frost,\u201d prompted Harris.\n\nPontayo gave a slight nod, so Kayla began, \u201cThe transport is just out of range from the hijacked ship, so we will initiate contact to inform them of the approach not to alert them.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd would you say these are extremely dangerous criminals?\u201d Asked Terry.\n\n\u201cYes.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, I mean would you actually say that. It would make for a great soundbite.\u201d\n\nBefore Kayla could reply, her comm chimed. \u201cTransport One is in position.\u201d Thankfully, Diamond was smart enough to broadcast audio only.\n\n\u201cStand by.\u201d Kayla switched channels and commed the outlaws on the captured ship.\n\n\u201cWhy does that voice sound so familiar?\u201d asked Pontayo.\n\nKayla decided to just ignore the question for now. \u201cCome in Baba\u2019s Gift. We have your cargo ready for transfer.\u201d\n\nA moment later, the digitally-altered voice of Jack, the outlaw leader, came through, \u201cTell them to move in to range and hold for scanning. They do anything else and we start shooting everything and everyone.\u201d\n\nKayla passed the instructions on to Diamond. On the screen, they watched intently as the hauling ship moved into position.\n\n\u201cIs there any way they could do that again?\u201d Terry asked. \u201cI would love another angle.\u201d\n\nBefore Harris could prompt, both Kayla and Pontayo replied with curt a \u201cNo.\u201d\n\n\u201cWould you look at that,\u201d said Jack. \u201cTwenty crates of quality ink. You secs actually came through. Was sure I was gonna have to kill a few before you gave in.\u201d\n\nHarris stepped forward. \u201cAll we want is the safe return of the hostages,\u201d he said an octave deeper than normal and staring directly into the capture rig. \u201cThat is Crusader Industries\u2019 top priority.\u201d\n\nKayla had to squeeze her fist tightly to keep herself from screaming out. Never call them hostages! Never let them know they have the upper hand!\n\n\u201cThen all you gotta do is drop off the crates and be on your way,\u201d said Jack. \u201cReal win-win.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow will we get our people back?\u201d asked Kayla.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll let you know in a few hours where you can pick them up.\u201d And with that, the jacker closed the comm.\n\nKayla knew then that she had done the right thing calling in Diamond. The jackers had no intentions of giving back the ship or the people aboard.\n\nAlright Harris, thought Kayla, I hope your reporters enjoy the show.\n\nKayla opened a channel, \u201cTransport One, begin transfer procedures.\u201d With that, she sat back in her chair. The rest was in Diamond and her crew\u2019s hands.\n\n\u201cNot only do we prioritize safety and comfort on our award-winning vessels,\u201d said Harris, unable to let a moment of quiet survive unfilled, \u201cbut here on our world as well. Crusader has dedicated itself to building a security team that can handle any situation. In fact, recent reports have shown that it is safer to vacation here than many other similar destinations.\u201d\n\nSuddenly, a channel opened to Baba\u2019s Gift. \u201cWhat the hell is going on?\u201d yelled an unaltered voice that Kayla could only assume belonged to Jack. He could barely be heard over the blaring of loud music. Kayla smiled. Sounds like her second surprise was working.\n\nShe had gotten Burgess to whip up an impromptu flashbang using the onboard entertainment. Every screen and speaker should be making so much noise right now that the shipjackers won\u2019t be able to think straight.\n\n\u201cWhat the hell is going on?\u201d\n\nThis time it was Harris who was asking. The reporter swung wildly around trying to capture the moment.\n\n\u201cPerhaps some privacy first, Sir?\u201d suggested Pontayo.\n\nHarris\u2019 eyes darted to Terry. He switched instantly to his previous calm demeanor. \u201cTerry, would you mind excusing us for a moment?\u201d Before Terry could protest, Harris firmly pushed them out the door.\n\nHarris turned angrily to Kayla. \u201cExplain. Now.\u201d\n\n\u201cRight now a team of mercenaries is securing Baba\u2019s Gift. Knowing the team, we should be receiving the all clear in a moment or two.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s how I knew the voice!\u201d exclaimed Pontayo. \u201cYou hired Diamond to cart the WiDoW!\u201d\n\n\u201cYou did say I was in charge of contracting the transport team, Sir. Can\u2019t help it if I\u2019m really good at picking people.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou are done,\u201d said Harris, seething. \u201cNot only are you fired, if I have anything to say about it, you\u2019re going to be locked up for a long time. Chief, I want you to arrest her right now.\u201d\n\nThe comm chirped and Diamond appeared on the screen with a grin. \u201cHey Frosty. All clear. Thirty-two hostages safely accounted for. Three outlaws and twenty crates of WiDoW, ready for lock up. Your little vid worked like a charm.\u201d\n\n\u201cGood work, Diamond,\u201d said Kayla. \u201cHead on back when you can. Make sure you get those people some food and water from the galley and see if any of them need help to the restroom. They\u2019ve been sitting scared for a long time.\u201d\n\nShe closed the comm and stood to face Harris. \u201cYou can arrest me if you want, but then what are you going to tell that reporter? That you rescued everyone, but had no idea that it was happening? That Crusader Industries botched a successful rescue?\u201d\n\nHarris opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking.\n\n\u201cOr I could tell everyone how amazing your idea was.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not going to forget this, Officer Frost,\u201d said Harris before reopening the door. \u201cGood news, Terry! Our hostage rescue went flawlessly. How would you like to meet the heroes as they step off their luxurious Genesis starliner?\u201d\n\nIn a moment, the reporter and exec were gone.\n\n\u201cGood work, Frost,\u201d was all Pontayo had to say before he followed.\n\nKayla, alone, felt her body give out as all the built-up tension began to evaporate. She had done her job and ran the op as well as she could. Now was not the time to think about the fact she might not have that job for very much longer.\n\nNo. Now what she wanted more than anything was a steak dinner and to tell Susan all about how she had earned it.\n\nTHE END."},"links_count":0,"comment_count":27,"created_at":"2020-04-15T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"6 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 23:11:27","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":16620,"next_id":16622}}